Canada Wildfires Ground Flights at New York City Airports

A growing number of flights were delayed at major airports in the New York City area as smoke from fires across eastern Canada blanketed the region, casting an eerie yellow glow in the sky and reducing visibility for pilots.

Ground delays were in place at LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport Wednesday afternoon, as well as at Philadelphia International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s website. A brief ground stop for flights headed to LaGuardia was lifted at 1:57 p.m.

“The FAA has slowed traffic to and from the New York City area airports due to reduced visibility from wildfire smoke,” the agency said in a statement. It “will adjust the volume of traffic to account for the rapidly changing conditions.”

Health officials urged New York City residents to stay indoors on Wednesday as unhealthy air quality levels posed a risk to the sick, elderly and young children.

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